Vernick Fish — Restaurant in Philadelphia

The reputation and price of Vernick Fish make it a place that really has to impress me in order to come back or leave a good review... but at the end of the day there is nowhere I've been with a raw bar that can match what Vernick Fish is offering! If you're looking for thoughtful crudos or raw offerings, this is the best I've had and I keep coming back.

I've been maybe a half-dozen times at this point and the most consistent thing I can mention is the quality of the service. Particularly the bartenders who are attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and do a lot of extra touches to make the experience memorable. The ambiance matches the quality of the service in most cases, with tasteful seating arrangements, carefully lit spaces, and the feeling that you are enjoying a special occasion (even if it's just a normal night out). The exception I'll mention is that the vibes simply are a bit off at lunch time; the great lighting at night instead starts to feel stiff and corporate and awkward during the daytime. All that to say, I'd recommend visiting at night and especially pulling up a seat at the bar.

As I mentioned earlier, the food is at its best if you order from the raw bar and small plates. Most restaurants don't ever convince me on oysters but every variety here has been a stunner with clear flavors, quality, and a great assortment of accoutrement that will help you enjoy your oysters however you prefer. The shrimp cocktail is the single best shrimp I have ever had in my life, and blows any other in the city out of the water. It is a MUST try. Finally, the crudos and ceviche are the culinary peaks that really highlight the skill from the kitchen. While all are great, my favorite was the yellowtail crudo which paired a rich and strong slice of fish with tangy yuzu, chili oil, basil, and was balanced perfectly with an amazingly fresh snow pea bite.

While every entree I've had has been thoughtful and high quality, I don't think they actually measure up to the "wow" factor of the raw options. I've tried two different scallop dishes and a pasta, and although they're well made I don't think I'd recommend them based on their price. Similarly, the fried octopus starter was a beautiful looking and intricate but didn't hit a total home run.

Desserts are very solid. The chocolate cake was decadent and luxurious, but the surprising star was actually just the very inexpensive gelato/sorbet scoops. The chocolate sorbet may be the best I've ever had, and I'm not really a frozen desserts person. If you are a dessert wine or port enjoyer, I thoroughly enjoyed the port recommended to me by the bartender!

While it's clear that Vernick Fish has earned its reputation and delivers quality and consistent experiences, it's hard to not talk about the elephant in the room of the prices. This place is NOT cheap, and doesn't show the prices on their online menu, so you just have to be prepared to spend a lot. The crudos are 4 bites for $25-$30. Entrees are $45+ even if they're small, such as 3 scallops. Drinks are a premium as well, with cocktails and wines in the $20-$30 range. Everyone's tolerance for price varies; to me the raw bar and crudo are justified since they can't be beaten. As far as entrees and drinks are concerned, they're good but may not be worth the premium. My recommendation would be to have a drink beforehand, and sit at the bar for just the best things the...

I had dinner at Vernick Fish at the Four Seasons Philadelphia on November 29, 2024, and it turned out to be one of those rare evenings where the food, service, and unexpected human connection all align perfectly.

A lovely couple from Louisiana was seated next to me. They told me they come to Philly several times a year, as they still have family here and love spending Thanksgiving in the city. They were staying at the Four Seasons and said they much preferred it over the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia.

But before I could get too comfortable agreeing with them, they added with a smile: “If you ever go to New Orleans, though, be sure to stay at the Ritz-Carlton there.” Then, true to form—the woman gently corrected my pronunciation of New Orleans, saying it the way locals do, with pride and affection. It made me laugh and lean in just a little more. Everything about them—gracious, playful, generous—matched the spirit of the meal.

The woman had a charming tradition: whenever she saw someone celebrating a special occasion, she’d order them a lemon drop cocktail. At one point, she explained to the server what a real lemon drop is—a tart, sweet vodka-based drink served in a sugar-rimmed glass—and how it’s different from limoncello, the Italian lemon liqueur. I hadn’t confused the two myself, but I enjoyed listening; she spoke with such warmth and clarity, it felt like a little masterclass in Southern hospitality.

Later in the meal, the couple spotted someone at another table who seemed to be celebrating, and true to form, they ordered that person a lemon drop—and two for themselves as well. Then they walked over and toasted to the person, with a sparkle of kindness that lit up the room. It was such a gracious, quietly joyful gesture.

When I asked a kind female server about the fingerling potatoes on their table, the couple immediately turned to her and said they’d like to share them with me—and the restaurant graciously allowed it. That spontaneous moment of generosity, supported so naturally by the staff, set the tone for the entire evening.

As for the meal: • The Snapper Crudo was clean, bright, and gorgeously plated. • The Endive & Baby Gem Salad was crisp and perfectly dressed. • The Scallops were divine—tender, caramelized, and deeply flavorful. • The Halibut was equally refined, delicate, and satisfying. • I sipped a refreshing VF Mocktail, and dessert—Vanilla and Chai Ice Cream—was the perfect finale. I know their sister restaurant, Vernick Food & Drink, also offers house-made ice creams, but I preferred this version. The chai in particular had a silky, gently spiced finish that lingered in the best way.

Our primary server, Hipolito, along with the rest of the team, provided polished, thoughtful service. Every interaction felt genuine.

The ambiance is warm and glowing—refined but relaxed. The kind of space where a solo diner can feel comfortable, and a casual conversation with your neighboring table might just turn into the best part of your evening.

Note: There’s a credit card hold for reservations, so I waited until I was a block away before booking.

A truly special night. Can’t wait to return.

Recommended dishes: Scallops, Halibut, Snapper Crudo, Endive Salad,...

Staff and manager are very unaccommodating and rude. We were coming here for our anniversary dinner — I got pulled over on the way and it caused us to be running late. The reservation was for 5:45 PM. I called the restaurant and let them know that we were running late and trying to find parking at 5:55 PM. I didn’t have time to call earlier as I was dealing with being pulled over. I let them know I was finding parking, why I was late, and that I’d be in there shortly. The person on the phone advised that it was okay. The restaurant has a 15-minute grace period, meaning we would be okay until 6 PM. We ended up walking in at 6:03 PM and went to the front desk to check in for our table. They told us they can’t seat us at our reserved table because we were past the 15-minute grace period and that we’d have to sit at the bar or counter in front of the kitchen. What’s crazy is that I went out of my way to over communicate with them that I was going to be late and they assured me it was fine, only to show up at the restaurant and be denied our table. I reminded them of the call we had just a few minutes ago and the situation that caused me to be late. There were 4 staff and a manger at the host stand for this, and all of them just gave me a snark look when I said this, didn’t reply with anything, and just said they can offer us the counter seat. The restaurant was 75% unoccupied at this time and no one was waiting for a table. I understand that the restaurant has policies and wants to follow them, but refusing to seat us at our table after everything I went through that night, having an almost completely empty restaurant, taking all possible steps to communicate with them prior to my arrival, telling me it was okay on the phone, AND the restaurant knowing that we were repeat customers and it was our special anniversary dinner… it’s a disgrace. Something funny worth noting — we ended up sitting at the counter seat and only got 1 or 2 things and left all within an hour, and as we were walking out, the restaurant was still more than 50% unoccupied. Simple deduction skills show that we wouldn’t have interrupted any of their later reservations with the timeline we were operating with. We ended up going somewhere else after to get a full meal.

Also, I thought it was funny that when we walked in the first front door, the manager looked me up and down through the window with a nasty judgmental look, for I assume what I was wearing? Mind you, I have worn nearly this same exact outfit to places such as Morimoto, Jean-Georges, Barclay Prime, Volvér, etc. with no one even batting an eye or making me feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the wait staff at Vernick Fish wears jeans? Comical.

It is clear that Vernick Fish staff and management are petty and don’t care about the customer. I hope the literal 3 minutes you saved by not seating us at our table was worth losing thousands of dollars of repeat business. I was shocked to receive this kind of experience at a Four Seasons establishment. If you care about your experience and how a restaurant treats you, avoid this place. Either that, or just make sure that any life situations that are out of your control don’t occur when you have a reservation...